Offset disk harrow

ABSTRACT

An offset disk harrow wherein the front and rear gangs are supported by a unitary frame structure to the ends of which each gang is connected by a single pivot, and wherein the frame structure includes articulated parts, one of which supports the rear gang and can be laterally angled relative to the other frame part and rigidly held in selected adjusted positions to laterally shift the rear gang bodily relative to the front gang.

United States Patent Fueslein et a1.

1541 DFF SET DISK HARROW [72] Inventors: Jerome L. Fueslein, Linden;William M.

Adams, Stockton, both of Calif.

[73] Assignee: International Harvester Company,

Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: June 8, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 44,453

[51] Int. Cl ..A0lb 23/04, A01b 65/02 [58] Field ofSearch..l72/568,569,578,582,584,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,944,614 7/1960 Shipp172/678 51 Jan. 25, 1972 2,967,576 1/1961 Garner ..172/600 2,886,1155/1959 Wadelton ....172/580 3,082,830 3/1963 McKay ....172/328 3,572,4453/1971 Richey et a1 ..l72/58l Primary Examiner-Robert E. PulfreyAssistant Examiner-C. W. Hanor Attorney-Floyd B. Harmon [57] ABSTRACT Anoffset disk harrow wherein the front and rear gangs are supported by aunitary frame structure to the ends of which each gang is connected by asingle pivot. and wherein the frame structure includes articulatedparts, one of which supports the rear gang and can be laterally angledrelative to the other frame part and rigidly held in selected adjustedpositions to laterally shift the rear gang bodily relative to the frontgang.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENIEU M25 I972 SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTORSJEROME L. FUESLE/N WILLIAM IW. ADAMS PATENTEU JAN 25 I972 IN VE ORSSHEEI 2 OF 2 5 M EA w M J m EL L mm f OFFSET DISK HARROW BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION This invention relates to earth working implements andparticularly to offset disk harrows. More specifically, the inventionconcerns an offset disk harrow of the wheel-controlled type.

The conventional offset disk harrow comprises a rectangular frame towhich each disk gang is secured at laterally spaced locations by crudemeans involving the expenditure of considerable tome and labor to effectchanges in the angular relationship of the gangs to meet soilrequirements and operating needs. It is also frequently necessary, inorder tor the rear gang to track properly behind the front gang, tolaterally adjust the rear gang translationally relative to the frontgang so that each disk of the rear gang tracks with respect to thecorresponding disk of the front gang in such a way as to properly tillall of the soil. With the conventional rectangular frame construction itis a major operation to improve the relationship of the rear disk to thefront disks by laterally shifting one gang relative to the other.

An important object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide asimplified construction for a disk harrow of the offset type wherein thesupporting frame is a unitary or single structure on which each diskgang is mounted by a single pivot.

Another object of the invention is the provision, in a disk harrow ofthe offset type wherein the disk gangs are adjustable to preselectedangular relationships, of a unitary frame structure of novelconstruction upon which the disk gangs are mounted, including meansfacilitating lateral shifting of one gang relative to the other toimprove the tracking of the disks of the rear gang relative to those ofthe front gang without altering the selected included angle between thegangs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view, with partsremoved, of an offset disk harrow embodying the features of thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, with parts removed, of a portion of the implementshown in FIG. 1, and illustrating the structure of the unitary frame;and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged exploded view in perspective of a portion of thestructure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The disk harrow of thisinvention comprises a central longitudinally extending supporting frameassembly 14, which in cludes a generally rectangular hollow main framemember to the forward end of which is affixed a depending bracket 16having a forward face 17 and triangular sideplates 18.

The lower end of bracket 16 carries a transverse pivot pin I9 upon whichare mounted a pair of ears 20 affixed to the rear end of a hitch member21 and accommodating vertical swinging movement of the hitch memberrelative to the frame assembly 14, hitch member 21 being the means bywhich the implement is connected in draft receiving relation to atractor.

A pair of front and rear disk gang assemblies 24 and 25, respectively,are provided and are substantial duplicates, the front gang comprising atransverse horizontal beam 26, rectangular in section and having aplurality of hangers 27 depending therefrom supporting axially alignedrotatable disks 28. Disk gang 24 is pivotally supported from main framesection 15 for horizontal angular adjustment relative thereto by theprovision of a vertical spindle 29 affixed to beam 26 centrally thereof,in proximity with the lateral center of balance of the front disk gang24, and projecting upwardly.through an opening 30 provided in theforward portion of the main frame 15 and held against displacement by aremovable collar 31.

It will be noted that the implement illustrated in the drawings is aright-hand offset disk harrow and that the disks of the front gang 24face forwardly and outwardly to the right of the direction of travel.Rear gang comprises a horizontal supporting beam 32, also rectangular insection, which diverges to the right with respect to front beam 26. Aplurality of hangers 33 are secured to and depend from beam 32 andsupport at their lower ends a series of axially aligned disks 34 theconcave faces of which are directed forwardly and outwardly to the left.

Rear gang 25 is mounted on the supporting frame assembly 114 for angularadjustment relative thereto and to the front gang by the provision of avertical axis pivot comprising vertical spindle 35 centrally affixed tobeam 32, in proximity with the lateral center of balance of the reardisk gang 25, and projecting upwardly therefrom for pivotal reception inthe bearing portion 36 of the gang mounting member 37 forming part ofthe supporting frame 14. The forward portion of member 37 is slidablyreceivable in the hollow rear end of main frame member 15 and ispivotally mounted on a pivot pin 38 carried in an opening 39 in the rearend of member 15 and laterally offset from the centerline thereofiOpening 39 terminates at each end in a boss 40, only one of which isshown, on upper and lower faces of member l5 to receive the ends ofpivot pin 38, and each boss is apertured to receive a securing pin 41.Pivot pin 38 registers with an opening 42 in member 37, and the latteris made integral with member 15 by the provision of locking means in theform of a key or pin 43 having a handle 44 and a shank 45 (see FIG. 3)receivable in an opening 46 in member 15 and terminating at its upperend in a boss 47, engageable with a shoulder 48 formed on shank 45, thelower end of shank 45 having an opening 49 therein to receive aretaining cotter 50.

The gang mounting member 37 is angularly adjustable relative to framemember 15 about the axis of pivot pin 38 for a purpose hereinafter tobecome clear, and is rigidly held in its selected adjusted position byinsertion of key 43 in one of a plurality of openings 51, 52 and 53formed in member 37 on an arc having opening 42 as its center.

The upper end of spindle 35 has threaded recesses 54 which register withopenings 55 in a cap 56 to receive bolts 57 to hold the disk gangagainst vertical displacement from frame 14. Cap 56 is spaced from theupper end of bearing portion 36 by a removable bail 58 having outwardlybent ends 59 connected by a bolt 60. To vertically adjust the positionof the rear gang the spacer bail 58 may be removed and placed betweenbeam 32 and the lower end of bearing portion 36.

In FIG. 2 of the drawings pin 43 is clearly shown inserted in centralopening 52 in member 37, and the included angle between the gangs isindicated at Y." In order to regulate the lateral position of the disksof the rear gang relative to the corresponding disks of the front gangto assure the proper working of the soil disturbed by the front gang itis necessary for the operator to laterally shift the rear gang bodily inone direction or the other relative to the front gang. Locking key 43 isremoved and rear frame portion 37 is swung about the axis of pin 38 toeffect translational movement of the rear gang until opening 46registers with one of the openings 51 or 53, whereupon key 43 isreinserted above the selected opening.

To effect this lateral adjustment of the rear gang 25 it is preferablethat the implement be elevated to a transport position above the ground.This is accomplished by mechanism forming no part of this invention asclaimed, details of construction of which may be had by reference tocopending US. application Ser. No. 44,454, filed June 8, I970. However,for the purposes of this disclosure it might be noted that a hydrauliccylinder 61 is pivotally anchored to a lug 62 on the frame and has apiston rod 63 slidable therein and is supplied with fluid under pressurein well-known manner from the propelling tractor to rock a pair ofbellcranks 64 which, in turn, are operatively connectedto laterallyspaced pairs of wheels 65 (see FIG. 1) to raise and lower the wheels byrocking the bellcranks 64.

The front and rear disk gangs are adjusted about the axes of therespective mounting spindles 29 and 35 to the desired angularrelationship for operation, as for example the included angle Yindicated in FIG. 2, by the provision of extensible and retractablemeans connected between the frame and the individual gangs. These may bein the form of turnbuckles or the like but preferable are hydrauliccylinders, as indicated at 66 and 67, receiving fluid under pressure bycontrol means on the tractor in a manner well known in the art andoperable independently of the control means for lifting cylinder 61,fluid from the tractor being directed to cylinders 66 and 67 through theintermediary of directional valve means mounted on the implement frameand indicated diagrammatically at 68 in P10. 2, the constructionaldetails of the valve and the manner in which the fluid is distributedforming no part of the invention as claimed herein.

However, it may be noted that cylinder 66 is pivotally anchored to framemember and a rod 69, slidable therein, is connected to a bracket 70affixed to beam 26, and serves to adjust the angle of front gang 24.

Cylinder 67 is pivotally anchored to member 15 and has a piston rod 71slidable therein and connected to a bracket 72 affixed to rear beam 32.

Extension and retraction of piston rods 69 and 71 in therespectivecylinders 66 and 67 adjusts the gangs to the desired operatingangle Y. This is easily done after the implement has been raised to itstransport position by lowering wheels 65 relative to the frame. In thisposition as well as in the operating position angular movement of theimplement about the axis of pivot pin 19 is limited by the provision ofleveling means indicated at 73 and including a bolt 74 pivoted at oneend on a pin 75 carried by lugs 76 mounted on a plate 77 affixed tohitch 21. The other end of the bolt is slidable in an opening in a lug78 affixed to the face 17 of bracket 16 and is provided with a head 79engageable with the lug, and a compression spring 80 surrounds the boltbetween lug 78 and a collar 81.

With the implement in its raised or transport position the rear gang maynow be adjusted laterally, and this is accomplished by the mechanism ofthis invention while maintaining the same included angle Y previouslyselected for the operating angle between the gangs so that furtheradjustment thereof is unnecessary. Locking key 43 is removed to allowthe rear gang 25 to be swung, for example clockwise, as viewed in FIG.2, with gang mounting member 37 pivoting about the axis of pivot pin 38while the gang is held by cylinder and piston rod unit 67, 71. A linebetween the axis of pivot pin 38 and the axis of spindle 35 connectingrear gang 25 to rear frame portion 37 then serves as one link of agenerally parallel link system in which cylinder 67 and its piston rod71 constitute the other link. Since rear gang 25 is held by the cylinderand piston unit, relative angular movement occurs between bearing 36 andspindle 35 to compensate for the arc of travel of the gang-mountingmember 37 about pivot pin 38. The rear gang thus shifts laterallywithout angular deflection to the selected adjusted position of thegang-mounting member 37 without impairing the established included angleY" between the gangs. Key 43 is then inserted in the opening 51 to lockthe rear gang in its adjusted position.

It is believed that the construction and operation of the novel offsetdisk harrow construction of this invention will be clearly understoodfrom the foregoing description.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tractor propelled offset disk harrow, front and rear disk gangsrelatively angled in their operating position and converging to one sideof the direction of travel, a frame structure having relatively forwardand aft disposed portions, vertical pivot means connecting one of saidgangs to one of the frame structure portions, a gang-mounting structuremounted on the other frame structure portion being selectivelyadjustable laterally of the frame structure, vertical axle pivot meansconnecting the other gang with said mounting structure for lateraladjustment therewith, and means connected between the frame structureand said other gang to selectively vary the position thereof about saidvertical axis pivot means, said other frame structure portion is ahollow member and said gang-mounting structure is slidably receivedtherein and is pivotally connected thereto, an opening formed in saidother frame structure and a plurality of registering openings providedIn said gang-mounting structure on an are about an axis of said pivotalconnection and a locking pin optionally received in a set of registeringopenings.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1, wherein the means connectedbetween the frame structure and said other gang is an extensible andretractable force transmission member pivotally connected at one end tothe frame structure and at the other end to said other gang and formingwith said gangmounting structure a generally parallel link arrangementaccommodating said lateral adjustment of the gang-mounting structurerelative to said other frame structure portion while maintaining theincluded angle between said front and rear disk gangs.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein the means connectedbetween said frame structure and said other gang is a rigid memberadjustable in length pivotally connected at one end to the framestructure and at the other end to said other gang and forming with saidgang-mounting structure a generally parallel link arrangementaccommodating said lateral adjustment of the gang-mounting structurerelative to said other frame structure portion while maintaining theincluded angle between said front and rear disk gangs.

4. In an offset disk harrow, a unitary frame structure having relativelyforward and aft disposed portions, front and rear disk gangs relativelyangled in their operating position and converging to one side of thedirection of travel, vertical pivot means connecting one of said gangsto one of said frame structure portions in proximity with the lateralcenter of balance of said one of said gangs, a gang-mounting structuremounted on the other of said frame structure portions, vertical axispivot means connecting the other gang with said mounting structure inproximity with the lateral center of balance of said other of saidgangs, and means connected between the frame structure and the othergang to selectively vary the position thereof about said vertical axispivot means said gang-mounting structure includes means for selectivelyadjusting the gang-mounting structure laterally of the frame structure,

said other frame structure portion is a hollow member and saidgang-mounting structure is slidably received therein and is pivotallyconnected thereto,

an opening formed in said other frame structure and a plurality ofregistering openings formed in said gang-mounting structure on an arcabout an axis of said pivotal connection and a locking pin optionallyreceived in a set of registering openings.

5. The invention set forth in claim 4 wherein the means connectedbetween the frame structure and said other gang is an extensible andretractable force transmission member pivotally connected at one end tothe frame structure and at the other end to said other gang and formingwith said gangmounting structure a generally parallel link arrangementaccommodating said lateral adjustment of the gang-mounting structurerelative to said other frame structure portion while maintaining theincluded angle between said front and rear disk gangs,

1. In a tractor propelled offset disk harrow, front and rear disk gangsrelatively angled in their operating position and converging to one sideof the direction of travel, a frame structure having relatively forwardand aft disposed portions, vertical pivot means connecting one of saidgangs to one of the frame structure portions, a gang-mounting structuremounted on the other frame structure portion being selectivelyadjustable laterally of the frame structure, vertical axle pivot meansconnecting the other gang with said mounting structure for lateraladjustment therewith, and means connected between the frame structureand said other gang to selectively vary the position thereof about saidvertical axis pivot means, said other frame structure portion is ahollow member and said gang-mounting structure is slidably receivedtherein and is pivotally connected thereto, an opening formed in saidother frame structure and a plurality of registering openings providedin said gang-mounting structure on an arc about an axis of said pivotalconnection and a locking pin optionally received in a set of registeringopenings.
 2. The invention set forth in claim 1, wherein the meansconnected between the frame structure and said other gang is anextensible and retractable force transmission member pivotally connectedat one end to the frame structure and at the other end to said othergang and forming with said gang-mounting structure a generally parallellink arrangement accommodating said lateral adjustment of thegang-mounting structure relative to said other frame structure portionwhile maintaining the included angle between said front and rear diskgangs.
 3. The invention set forth in claim 1 wherein the means connectedbetween said frame structure and said other gang is a rigid memberadjustable in length pivotally connected at one end to the framestructure and at the other end to said other gang and forming with saidgang-mounting structure a generally parallel link arrangementaccommodating said lateral adjustment of the gang-mounting structurerelative to said other frame structure portion while maintaining theincluded angle between said front and rear disk gangs.
 4. In an offsetdisk harrow, a unitary frame structure having relatively forward and aftdisposed portions, front and rear disk gangs relatively angled in theiroperating position and converging to one side of the direction oftravel, vertical pivot means connecting one of said gangs to one of saidframe structure portions in proximity with the lateral center of balanceof said one of said gangs, a gang-mounting structure mounted on theother of said frame structure portions, vertical axis pivot meansconnecting the other gang with said mounting structure in proximity withthe lateral center of balance of said other of said gangs, and meansconnected between the frame structure and the other gang to selectivelyvary the position thereof about said vertical axis pivot means saidgang-mounting structure includes means for selectively adjusting thegang-mounting structure laterally of the frame structure, said otherframe structure portion is a hollow member and said gang-mountingstructure is slidably received therein and is piVotally connectedthereto, an opening formed in said other frame structure and a pluralityof registering openings formed in said gang-mounting structure on an arcabout an axis of said pivotal connection and a locking pin optionallyreceived in a set of registering openings.
 5. The invention set forth inclaim 4 wherein the means connected between the frame structure and saidother gang is an extensible and retractable force transmission memberpivotally connected at one end to the frame structure and at the otherend to said other gang and forming with said gang-mounting structure agenerally parallel link arrangement accommodating said lateraladjustment of the gang-mounting structure relative to said other framestructure portion while maintaining the included angle between saidfront and rear disk gangs.